Applied Researchers
Does Applied Researchers reduce Repeat, Flow, and Deflect costs?
Yes, provided Applied Researchers is Empowered and the cost belongs to a spell.
Repeat is an optional additional cost. Deflect imposes a mandatory additional cost on a spell or ability that targets the permanent with Deflect. Discounts can reduce both kinds of additional costs, including to zero.
A Flow cost is an alternate cost that replaces a spell's base cost during finalization. Applied Researchers' discount is applied afterward when determining the spell's total cost.
Applied Researchers can therefore reduce a Repeat or Deflect cost paid while playing a spell. It cannot reduce either cost when playing an ability, because its discount applies only to spells.
Can Applied Researchers reduce Shock Blast's cost to zero?
Yes, if Applied Researchers is Empowered, you can play for 0. Applied Researchers itself satisfies Shock Blast's requirement that you control something that is Empowered, so both cards' discounts apply.
Both abilities discount Shock Blast's total cost during the Determine Total Cost step of playing it. Discounts that apply to the total cost may be applied in any order, and a minimum imposed by one discount applies only to that discount.
Cost Determination Sequence
- Shock Blast starts with its base cost of 3
![[Mind]](/images/rune_mind.svg)
. - Apply Researchers' discount first, reducing that cost by 1
![[Power]](/images/rune_rainbow.svg)
to 2.
This satisfies Researchers' minimum of 1. - Apply Shock Blast's own discount next, reducing its remaining energy cost by 2 to 0.
Applying the discounts in the opposite order would leave the spell costing 1, but you may choose the order that results in the lower cost.
Related rulings
How was this page?
Written by Christian I. (Near).
Last updated on .